Date: Saturday, July 31, 2010
Day 212 - Short Fuse
Well, I didn't make it down to photograph the parade today.
I ended up working on the truck, trying to chase down an electrical problem. Finally, after a couple of hours, the problem was found. Since my original plans were shot to pieces, I grabbed my camera before the daylight was gone, and shot a few quick photos of the various colored fuses in the fuse block in the engine compartment of the truck.
The best laid plans...I really expected to have a good parade photo to post for today, but sometimes the plans that I make for my photography, just don't often seem to come together, allowing me a day of uninterrupted photography.
Date: Friday, July 30, 2010
Day 211 - Chasing Liberty
Two rabbit days in a row!
Liberty (my favorite young cottontail rabbit photo subject), and me were playing a game of cat and mouse very early this morning. He'd let me get very close to him, and I'd set up to shoot a photograph, then he'd hop about a foot further away, just far enough to where I had to take another step or two, in order to get close to him again.
I ended up following Liberty around the yard early this morning as he grazed in the grass and toyed with me as I tried to shoot photographs of him. I swear, he was intentionally hopping away, just as I'd approach clicking the shutter. After about a half hour, Liberty settled in at the base of a Blue Spruce tree, and we enjoyed a few minutes of the morning facing each other and I managed to get some very nice shots of him.
Tomorrow evening, I'll be attempting to attend the Fremont County Fair Parade to photograph it, if my leg will hold out... I may need to take a chair. They are holding the parade in the early evening hours, instead of mid-day, which may provide for some better photographs, as the sun won't be as overpowering. We'll see. I think I'll only shoot digital, since I've still got about a half-dozen rolls of 35mm film I haven't developed from past community events...
Date: Thursday, July 29, 2010
Day 210 - Green Tongue
Today is another rabbit day.
I fell way behind this morning on everything, when the power decided to go out (again) during my most productive time. Rocky Mountain Power needs to get their act together and update the local grid around here.
While the power was out just before dawn, I went outside and shot some low-light photos, including some of a rabbit, painted with a flashlight. I managed to catch up during mid-day and this evening, I snuck outside and managed to shoot some decent close-ups of a young rabbit from about 2 feet away. I am not sure if this is my favorite photo subject rabbit, that I named "Liberty" as I can't quite see the veins in its ear that I use to identify him with. There are so many of these little critters around I can't keep track of them all, even though there has been one casualty, getting run over by a passing truck. I thought it might have been Liberty that was killed but later confirmed he was still alive.
Watching this little guy grazing in the lawn, I noticed he was looking around and eating the broad-leafed Dandelion leaves, as well as grass. I caught him in the middle of eating a dandelion leaf, which makes it look like he is sticking out a green tongue.
Date: Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Day 209 - Wyoming Bayou
So, I was sick as a dog today... I took too many OTC painkillers for my leg and I ended up making myself a bit sick...
Today's daily is of something you don't see every day in Wyoming, that being a honest-to-goodness airboat, made for zipping across the shallow Everglades and swamps of places like Florida and Louisiana.
I shot a lot of photos today, but most were shot as a favor for a client who wanted some photographs of his airboat as he is getting ready to sell it. Many of the photos I shot today, will ultimately end up on his business website, when I can find a little time to code them in.
Fortunately, I am permitted to post today's daily photo which is a photograph of this airboat, that is an oddity here in Wyoming, especially since I didn't shoot any recreational photos today.
Categories: 365 Days
Posted On: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 @ 11:19 PM
Comments For This Entry
Date: Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Day 208 - Cinderella After The Stroke Of Midnight
Titled: Day 208/365 - Cinderella After The Stroke Of Midnight
Date: July 27, 2010
[View Large Version]
Today was another busy day and my daily photography had to seriously take a back seat to everything else. Even though my photography wasn't taking precedence, I still didn't get all my work (which included some business photography) done.
With daylight waning and little time left, I focused on a Pink Peony Poppy in the front garden that reminded me of the fairy tale, Cinderella, after the stroke of midnight, when Cinderella's gown turned back into rags, and her coach turned back into a pumpkin. This pink poppy looked amazing for a couple of days, but it is clear that the clock has just struck midnight.
Even though it is still the middle of summer, I have noticed the days are getting shorter and Autumn will soon be upon us. We haven't had much of a summer in terms of ultra-hot days, but we still have some days in August that might actually see our local temperatures rise above 95°F.
Date: Monday, July 26, 2010
Day 207 - A Curious Life
My photography time was limited today, as I spent most of my day working on a client's website. I managed to sneak outside for a few minutes this morning, and again, this evening, just before dusk to shoot a few photos here and there.
Today's daily photograph is of a young Mourning Dove that was very inquisitive of my presence, straining its neck way up, to get a better look at me, over some dead twigs in a pine tree. Due to the fading daylight when this photograph was shot, I used a compulsory flash and lit up the scene a little. I wish I could have gotten a little closer to it, but there were too many branches between me and this critter.
Date: Sunday, July 25, 2010
Day 206 - Heart And Soul Of The Boondocks
Today's daily photo is a macro of Honeysuckle berries. The title of the photo is an homage to the lyrics contained in the song, "Boondocks," by Little Big Town, which is a country music vocal group out of Nashville.
Having been raised in small towns, along with choosing to live in a small, rural town, I identify with that song. I am not comfortable at all in large cities and only feel at home when I can easily find dirt roads, and can literally see across town. I remember when I visited Las Vegas some years back, I was looking for the roads out of town, as soon as I got there.
Date: Saturday, July 24, 2010
Day 205 - Rustic Bear Claw
Today was a very bad day...I shot a whole 6 photographs early this morning and had to come back inside due to pain. So...Today's daily photo is pretty much what turned out to be nearest to me, as I hobbled out the door and back inside.
This driveway bear has a bit of peeling paint and the wood is a little dried and cracking, giving it a "rustic" look. The paws and "claws" of the bear hold the household nameplate, as well as a "gone fishing" sign, when appropriate. Perhaps I'll get around to painting the driveway bear sometime soon so he'll be able to provide another decade of service.
Date: Friday, July 23, 2010
Day 204 - Felt Nurt Olny
Walk it off, walk it off, walk it off...Well, I went on a 4 mile photowalk early this morning to try to get back on my feet, but I think that was a mistake, since the bones in my leg are complaining something fierce today. I hope I didn't do more damage, instead of getting stronger.
In any event, last night, while reading the local paper, I noticed something of interest that I wanted to get a shot of, especially since it was very near the route I sometimes walk. So, while out and about this morning, I made a short diversion and shot this incorrectly spelled left turn only stenciled paint marking at a 4-way stop at the intersection of Broadway and Pershing.
It appears city workers had started to fix their spelling error, but hadn't yet repainted the stencil, so the incorrect spelling is still currently visible. I thought this would make an interesting daily photo, which is different than most of my photos thus far and has a bit of humor mixed in with it, so I chose it out of my photo selection from my 4 mile walk today.
Date: Thursday, July 22, 2010
Day 203 - Trust In The Morning Sun
Fortunately, I got outside early to shoot a dozen photographs, as I spent most of the rest of the day off my feet, trying to keep the pain in my leg from getting any worse. :-) Even more fortunate, is that a quality daily photo was found amongst those 12 photographs.
I was probably out of the "magic hour" when this photo was shot, but it still had a nice tone to it, as the morning sun lit up this Pink Peony Poppy along with the rain droplets from earlier that weighed down its petals.
Categories: 365 Days
Posted On: Thursday, July 22, 2010 @ 10:35 PM
Comments For This Entry
Date: Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Day 202 - Anemic Green
I wasn't able to spend too much time on my photography today. Today, we had rain off and on, and during one of the off times I slipped outside and shot a few photos of critters and things.
Interestingly, my rabbit photo subjects were a little wary of me today. I think it might have something to do with the loud cracking noise the bones in my left leg makes now. :-) I am hoping that cracking noise will go away now that the swelling is coming down.
Today's photo is a little more esoteric and muted than some of my shots. I shot this macro of a small leaf on a Mock Orange bush, after noticing it was a bit pale, looking almost anemic, except for the main vein and veinlets of the leaf, where it was outlined in a dark green tint. I thought this leaf was interesting, so I chose it for my daily photo.
Categories: 365 Days
Posted On: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 @ 9:15 PM
Comments For This Entry
Date: Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Day 201 - Bark And Feather
I had hoped to be roaming a lot more with my camera these days, but I just haven't been able to get out and about to find new things to photograph.
While out in the yard looking for some critters or flowers to photograph this evening, I noticed a feather, probably a dove's feather, that had somehow become stuck in the bark of a tree trunk, and I decided I just had to shoot some photos of it.
Although I shot some superior rabbit photographs very early this morning, I think this photo was more interesting, wondering just how that feather had come to be wedged in the bark of an Ash tree.
Date: Monday, July 19, 2010
Day 200 - Last Light
Today was an off day as I wasn't feeling well.
I didn't get to go downtown to photograph some of the Western Trail Days events like I wanted, so this evening, just before last light, I shot some photos in the garden of my good old standbys, macros of Daylilies and some photos of a baby rabbit living in the wood pile out by the back field.
I liked this shot of a burgundy velvet Daylily, as the sun was beginning to set. The shadows from the stamens were long as they darkened the petals of the lily. I chose this photograph for my daily entry, as the rabbits will still remain around here, after the lilies are long wilted.
Date: Sunday, July 18, 2010
Day 199 - Burning For Freedom
Today was the second and last day of the 30th Annual Riverton Rendezvous Balloon Rally, here in Riverton, Wyoming. The sky was a perfect deep blue, with not a cloud in the sky and and the wind was almost completely calm. I left my tripod home this morning and shot only on occasion with my monopod. I shot most of my photographs today freehand.
I was really missing the Smokey Bear Balloon, as he has been my favorite since I started shooting photographs of the Riverton Rendezvous Balloon Rally. I wonder where Smokey was this year.
I shot a lot of decent photos of the balloons, but I think I liked this shot of the Freedom Balloon best, as Freedom had both her burners running full blast at the moment I clicked the shutter. The Freedom balloon is based in Cody, Wyoming and is piloted by Jack Way.
The Riverton Rendezvous Balloon Rally may be over for another year, but more community events are on the horizon.
Tomorrow morning, I am hoping to make it downtown, as there is going to be an "Old West" style shootout on Main Street with characters dressed up in period garb and wielding cap guns. The truly funny thing is, it will probably be the first shootout on Riverton's Main Street, ever in the history of this town. :-)
Date: Saturday, July 17, 2010
Day 198 - Steamboat
Although I probably had a few technically better hot air balloon photographs from the first day of the Riverton Rendezvous Balloon Rally here in Riverton, Wyoming, as well as some great photos from today's Rocky Mountain Car & Bike Show, I thought to myself; What type of Wyomingite would I be, if I didn't post a photo of Steamboat as my daily photo for today?
"Steamboat" was a bucking horse, that, according to local historians, was the model for the bucking horse emblem that appears on the Wyoming state license plate, the logo for the University of Wyoming and appears on this balloon's envelope, which is aptly named, Steamboat.
The Steamboat balloon is based in Rock Springs, Wyoming and is piloted by Bruce Pivoc.
Go Pokes! :-)
Categories: 365 Days
Posted On: Saturday, July 17, 2010 @ 10:57 PM
Comments For This Entry
Date: Friday, July 16, 2010
Day 197 - Desperately Seeking Autumn
I missed a great photo opportunity today. Today was media day for the Riverton Rendezvous Balloon Rally, but I was literally up all night and crashed just about the time the balloons took to the sky, so I flat missed a preview of this weekend's balloon rally when they flew over the neighborhood for the media.
Oh well, even though I missed what would have been my most spectacular balloon photographs ever, a little later on I made my way outside and shot some photos of red and gold leaves on a Hopa Crabapple tree. The tree still has a little bit of Fire Blight on some of its leaves, but I'm not absolutely certain these leaves are affected with blight. It appears there are a few spots on these leaves, so there is a good probability they are infected with it, although, for now, they just look very nice and colorful.
Today was a pretty warm day, as we made it up into the mid 90s, so these colorful leaves reminded me of the vibrant foliage of Autumn, as well as the cool, crisp, mornings at that time of year.
Date: Thursday, July 15, 2010
Day 196 - Skimming The Trees
Riverton, Wyoming's second home balloon, Cloud Kisser II was up for a last minute practice ride around the neighborhood, as the Riverton Rendezvous Balloon Rally is being held this weekend. Cloud Kisser II was flying low this morning, skimming just over the tops of houses and trees, when this photograph was shot. The sky was particularly clear and blue this morning, with just the slightest of a breeze, that could barely be felt every now and then, and the temperatures were in the low to mid 50's, so Cloud Kisser II had a lot of time to float around the neighborhood.
One of the benefits of being up early at dawn are the cool mornings, amazing deep blue skies and photographs like today's daily photo. However, I was forced to pay back in spades for this morning's photographs of Cloud Kisser II, as I was eaten alive by mosquitoes, while standing around in the grass, occupied by the fire breathing dragon in the sky. I sustained probably over 100 mosquito bites in less than 30 minutes. So, now I'll probably end up with West Nile Virus, with my luck. :)
Date: Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Day 195 - Pink Clone
A Pink Peony Poppy appears to have a clone rising just behind it. I would have sworn the Pink Peony Poppy I shot a few days ago was a solo act, up until I went back out to this evening it and saw more buds/blooms have sprouted up around it, within an extremely short time. I will have to go back to my archives and see if the original shots I took a few days ago, show these new blooms, as I don't remember any other poppy buds being in any photographs I shot that day.
Anyway, I decided to shoot both large pink blooms, with the front poppy in focus and the rear poppy in a slight bokeh. I didn't have much time to shoot photos today as I am still trying to get caught up on non-photography related tasks, so I shot freehand with this photograph.
Categories: 365 Days
Posted On: Wednesday, July 14, 2010 @ 9:53 PM
Comments For This Entry
Date: Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Day 194 - D-Loop D-Loop
Today was a down day when it comes to my photography, as I had more important tasks to complete, so I got a very late start on my daily photo.
Today's photo is a macro of a metal "D-Loop" on a bowstring. A D-Loop is used to hook a trigger release to a bowstring on an archery bow, so the bowstring doesn't experience the physical wear and tear, of having the trigger release directly attached to the string.
I had intended to start practicing my target archery early in the spring, but I haven't had time to devote to the sport thus far. I'll probably start shooting again, after next week, since the balloon rally comes this weekend, and I won't have the time for now...
Date: Monday, July 12, 2010
Day 193 - Mirror Berries
I shot a decent number of photos over the course of the day, and I decided to focus on macros of berries on the Honeysuckle bushes for my Daily photo entry.
This shot of two Honeysuckle berries fused back to back, looking almost like a mirror image, caught my attention and I've chosen it for my daily photo. It was tough getting the focus just right on the berries, and I think it still could be a little better focused, but I ran out of daylight, so this was the best shot of the berries. I might more of these berry shots in the morning, during the magic hour, when the sun is shining on them.
Date: Sunday, July 11, 2010
Day 192 - Going Rogue
Today's photo is a close-up of a Pink Peony Poppy that has gone rogue and grown wild in the front garden, near the roadway. These are interesting flowers, since they don't have a defined "center" if you will that are typical of poppies.
I only shot a few photos today, and this was my best shot of that rogue poppy. I shot a few photos of the entire flower and plant, but given its undesireable location next to the road, the close-up of the pink petals was definitely the better choice.
Date: Saturday, July 10, 2010
Day 191 - Pink Rose Pearl
The pink crackerbarrel roses are blooming, but I haven't been shooting photographs of them early in the morning, when I should be doing so.
This photograph, shot during mid-afternoon, in the shade, was my best rose perspective of the day. I thought it looked interesting, since the center of the bloom hadn't opened all the way, with the outer petals fully opened, leaving the center ball, looking a little like a pink pearl, embedded in an Oyster.
If I catch these pink blooms early in the morning when the sun has just come up, the contrast between the pink petals and green leaves can be very dramatic. Hopefully, I'll get out early in the morning, to try some magic hour shots before all the fireworks are done.
Categories: 365 Days
Posted On: Saturday, July 10, 2010 @ 10:19 PM
Comments For This Entry
Date: Friday, July 09, 2010
Day 190 - Cheap Guitar
Many years ago, I had the idea that I wanted to learn to play the piano as well as the acoustic guitar. Life intervened and I never got the chance to learn to play either. I was never very good at reading music anyway, so chances are nil that I'll ever make good on my wish to play the guitar.
In any event, I dug up this cheap guitar that belonged to a relative, buried away under a slew of boxes stored for years in the basement. The strings are corroded and it doesn't sound much in tune these days, but it made for a good macro photography subject, as I shot many photos of the strings, bridge, neck, headstock, turning pegs, etc. This shot looked the most interesting of my macro shots today, so I chose it for my daily photo entry.
Date: Thursday, July 08, 2010
Day 189 - Stick Out Your Tongues
Today was a lazy photography day for me, as I am not feeling very good and I really wasn't in an expressive mood, so I shot some photos of the daylilies out in the front garden a little earlier in the evening and this shot turned out the best of those photos...
Categories: 365 Days
Posted On: Thursday, July 08, 2010 @ 10:01 PM
Comments For This Entry
Date: Wednesday, July 07, 2010
Day 188 - Cool Runnings
This morning was exceptionally chilly. We started out with a temperature of 40°F which included a frosty wind chill of 35°F. Although it was downright cold, the dense, cold air was perfect for flying balloons, so Riverton's second home balloon, Cloud Kisser II, took to the skies for a nearby flight. Although CKII didn't get directly overhead, I managed to capture some decent photos of it, with my camera mounted on a tripod even though it was probably about 150 or 200 yards away.
In this photo, Cloud Kisser II had started to lose altitude fairly quickly due to the cooling of the hot air inside its envelope. You can tell the direction of movement of the balloon by its pennant banners around the bottom part of the envelope floating upwards. After a quick shot of heated air, Cloud Kisser made its way back up a little ways in the air, where it caught a breeze, and headed north. It looked as though it finally touched down in the High School Soccer fields.
The Riverton Rendezvous Balloon Rally is in about 10 days, so that will be one of the main events of the year, and I'll be doing my best to make it over there to photograph the balloons again this year. It's always a fun time, watching the crews pumping the envelopes full of air, and seeing the colorful balloons take to the deep blue morning skies.
Categories: 365 Days
Posted On: Wednesday, July 07, 2010 @ 10:05 PM
Comments For This Entry
Date: Tuesday, July 06, 2010
Day 187 - O Summer, Summer, Wherefore Art Thou Summer?
Titled: Day 187/365 - O Summer, Summer, Wherefore Art Thou Summer?
Date: July 6, 2010
[View Large Version]
I cannot believe this is July. The high temperature for today struggled mightily to get up to the 55°F mark.
I turned the gas fireplace on until about 1:00pm as it was downright chilly today. Then we had a bit of rain this afternoon, which kept the temperature from going any higher.
While trying to warm up, I thought I'd shoot a few photographs of the flames in the fireplace, and decided to shoot some longer exposures, even though it was the middle of the day. This 8 second exposure turned out nice, and I think it was my most interesting shot of the day, so I chose it for my daily photo entry.
Date: Monday, July 05, 2010
Day 186 - Calling All Daylilies
I was outside looking at the desperate need to rework the front garden's landscaping, which I hope to start work on this week, and noticed the first burgundy velvet Daylily of the season has bloomed. So, I shot a couple dozen photos of it, along with shooting some cool photographs of "Liberty" the baby rabbit that is living under the front porch.
This shot looked very interesting, with a smooth bokeh, rich colors and stamens sticking way out of the center of the flower like antennae, so I chose this photograph as my daily entry for today.
Date: Sunday, July 04, 2010
Day 185 - Long May She Wave
Happy Independence Day!
Today's daily photo is a simple expression of my celebration of Independence Day. May these colors find their way back to true liberty and freedom, so that our nation shall not perish from this Earth.
Please reflect on what liberties have already been lost to the government/corporatist machinery, and then challenge yourself to embrace other peoples' liberties so that they may freely embrace yours in return.
Date: Saturday, July 03, 2010
Day 184 - Independence Day
Today was Independence Day. Not for our nation, mind you, as that is celebrated tomorrow. But it was Independence Day for this fledgling Mourning Dove. This is the last photograph shot of the fledgling and I think the "father" Dove, together in their very small nest. The adult bird looked like it was nudging the fledgling from the nest as the adult was inhabiting the actual nest part, pushing the fledgling out onto the limbs of the tree. After this photograph was shot, I noticed the nest was empty, and the fledgling along with its parents were gone. I think I saw the fledgling in another tree, later on in the day, but I can't be positive. However, it was old enough to take care of itself, by this point in its growth.
I wish I'd have had more of an opportunity to shoot photos of this baby bird, as I didn't actually see it in the nest, until it was almost ready to fly. But they say Mourning Doves will sometimes use the same nest and have more than one brood over the summer months, and I may get another opportunity to see some nestlings, if they return to nest again.
Date: Friday, July 02, 2010
Day 183 - Mother And Child
It seems to be feast or famine when it comes to my photography.
I shot a lot of good photographs today. I was absolutely amazed at how well the Mourning Doves that have nested in the Hopa Crabapple tree, hid their baby from prying eyes. I didn't see the baby Dove until about 4 days ago and this baby fledgling is clearly just about ready, if not totally ready, to leave the nest. Of course I didn't get up close and personal with the dove nest except for one time, when I first noticed their nest, as I didn't want to disturb the nest too much. Interestingly, they only had one baby in the nest, as I thought they were supposed to lay two eggs. I was wondering how they were going to accomplish that feat, in such a small nest.
Although I shot photographs that were "technically" better than today's daily photo, I liked this one best, as it showed mother and child sitting in the nest together.
I am hoping to get a few better photographs of them in the morning, when the sun is shining onto that side of the tree, as the light was poor while I was shooting these photographs. I won't have much of an opportunity to get photos of this fledgling in the future, because it is on the verge of being able to fly and probably could, if it left the nest.
All in all, today was a good photography day.
Date: Thursday, July 01, 2010
Day 182 - Grass Dinner, Al Fresco
Another freak mega-wind storm blew through here this afternoon, causing the loss of another 1/3 of the same Ash Tree that got nailed yesterday by a freak gust of wind. So, I spent most of the day cutting broken branches, then sawing up and picking up limbs downed by the wind.
I didn't have much free time at all for photography today even though I wanted to go down to the 1838 Rendezvous reenactment to shoot some photos, but the time just wasn't there, so yep, today is another rabbit day. I like these baby rabbits, as they are fun to watch, and they are always good for a close-up shot, while they feed on the tall grass missed by the lawn tractor. This little guy dined on grass, Al Fresco, in the cool shade underneath the Honeysuckle bushes, while he let me shoot some nice photos of him.
I swear, if the wind blows another branch down on that same Ash Tree tomorrow, the entire tree will have to come down, because all that will be left, is a tree trunk. It certainly isn't the same tree that was there yesterday morning, that's for sure. :-)